Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Disposal of Decommissioned, Defueled Cruiser, Ohio Class, and Los Angeles Class Naval Reactor Plants

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy

Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact

Statement for the Disposal of Decommissioned, Defueled Cruiser, Ohio

Class, and Los Angeles Class Naval Reactor Plants

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 [42

U.S.C. 4321 et seq] and in accordance with the Council on Environmental

Quality Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of the

National Environmental Policy Act (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508), the

Department of the Navy, with the Department of Energy as a cooperating

agency, has prepared and filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency the

[[Page 20811]]

Final Environmental Impact Statement for disposal of reactor plants

from U.S. Navy nuclear-powered cruisers, OHIO Class submarines and LOS

ANGELES Class submarines. The Department of Energy has participated as

a cooperating agency and has adopted the Environmental Impact Statement

to fulfill its environmental review obligations under NEPA.

Requests for copies of the document and requests for further

information should be directed to Mr. John Gordon (Code 1160), Puget

Sound Naval Shipyard, 1400 Farragut Avenue, Bremerton, Washington

98314-5001, telephone (360)476-7111.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Final Environmental Impact Statement

analyzes the alternative ways for disposing of decommissioned,

defueled, reactor compartments from U.S. Navy nuclear-powered cruisers

(BAINBRIDGE, TRUXTUN, LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA Class and VIRGINIA Class)

and submarines (LOS ANGELES Class and OHIO Class). A disposal method

for the defueled reactor compartments is needed when the cost of

continued operation is not justified by the ship's military capability

or when the ships are no longer needed. After a determination is made

that a nuclear-powered ship is no longer needed, the ship can be: (1)

placed in protective storage for an extended period followed by

permanent disposal or recycling; or (2) prepared for permanent disposal

or recycling.

The alternatives examined in detail in the Final Environmental

Impact Statement are the preferred alternative--land burial of the

entire reactor compartment at the Department of Energy Low-Level Waste

Burial Grounds at Hanford, Washington; the no action alternative--

protective waterborne storage for an indefinite period; disposal and

reuse of subdivided portions of the reactor compartments; and

indefinite storage above ground at Hanford.

Several other alternatives are also examined in limited detail.

These alternatives include sea disposal; land disposal of entire

reactor compartments at other sites and permanent above ground disposal

of entire reactor compartments at Hanford.

Navy reactor plants constructed prior to the USS LOS ANGELES (SSN

688)(referred to as pre-LOS ANGELES Class submarines) share many common

design characteristics with reactor plants from cruisers, OHIO Class

submarines and LOS ANGELES Class submarines. Pre-LOS ANGELES Class

submarines are currently being disposed of at the Department of Energy

Hanford Site in Eastern Washington by Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in

Bremerton Washington, consistent with the Secretary of the Navy's 1984

Record of Decision on disposal of decommissioned, defueled Naval

submarine reactor plants. Because of the negligible environmental

impact, land burial of the reactor compartment at the Hanford Site is

the preferred alternative for disposal of reactor compartments from

cruisers, OHIO Class submarines and LOS ANGELES Class submarines.

No new legislation would be required to implement any of these

alternatives. In all of the alternatives considered in the Draft

Environmental Impact Statement there would be no spent nuclear fuel

left in the reactor compartments. All the radioactive nuclear fuel

would be removed before disposal. Management of the spent nuclear fuel

is addressed in a separate Department of Energy Environmental Impact

Statement, though there would be some other radioactive materials left

within the reactor compartments. Therefore, the Draft Environmental

Impact Statement evaluates disposal of the reactor compartments after

all the spent nuclear fuel has been removed. Types of U.S. Navy

nuclear-powered ships that are expected to be decommissioned more than

20 years in the future (e.g., aircraft carriers and SEAWOLF Class

submarines) are not included in this Final Environmental Impact

Statement.

The Navy held public hearings on the Draft Environmental Impact

Statement in Bremerton, Richland, and Seattle, Washington; and

Portland, Oregon. Comments from 20 individuals and agencies were

received either in oral or written statements at the hearings or in

comment letters. These comments and the Navy responses are included in

an appendix to the Final Environmental Impact Statement.

The Final Environmental Impact Statement has been distributed to

various federal, state, and local government agencies, tribes, elected

officials, and special interest groups. Requests for copies of the

Final Environmental Impact Statement should be directed to the address

listed above. In addition, copies of the Final Environmental Impact

Statement are also available for public inspection in the following

libraries: Kitsap County Public Library, Main Branch, 1301 Sylvan Way,

Bremerton, Washington, phone (360)377-7601; Public Reading Room for

U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office, Washington State

University, Tri-Cities, 100 Sprout Road, Room 130 West, Richland,

Washington, phone (509)376-8583; Suzallo Library, University of

Washington, Seattle, Washington, phone (206)543-9158; Multnomah County

Library, 801 Southwest 10th Avenue (Due to renovation work, temporarily

relocated to 1407 SW 4th Avenue), Portland, Oregon, phone (503)248-

5234.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. John Gordon as noted above.

Dated April 24, 1996.

M.A. Waters,

LCDR, JAGC, USN, Federal Register Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 96-11193 Filed 5-7-96; 8:45 am]

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